St Nicholas Cathedral in Bielsko-Biała

The tower of St Nicholas Cathedral is 61 m tall and has defined the skyline of Bielsko-Biała's Old Town for more than a century. The church on St Nicholas Square, just below the former ducal castle, has Gothic roots going back to 1443, yet its present façade is a work of Viennese Art Nouveau. Since 1992 it has been the cathedral of the Diocese of Bielsko-Żywiec and is one of the largest churches in the city.

History: four fires and a Viennese architect

The Gothic church was founded by Duke Wenceslaus I of Cieszyn – construction began in 1443 and the church was consecrated in 1447, when the parish moved into town from Stare Bielsko. That is also when St Nicholas, patron of merchants, became the patron of Bielsko. From 1559 to 1630 the church belonged to the Lutherans; its last pastor was Jerzy Trzanowski, a preacher and religious writer. A series of disasters followed: fires in 1659, 1750, 1808 and 1836, and in 1750 a lightning strike melted the bell and the tower clock. Rebuilding was supported by the town's owners – first the Sunnegh barons and, from 1752, the princes Sułkowski, who remained patrons of the church until 1945. The last major turning point came in 1909–1912: to designs by the Viennese architect Leopold Bauer, the nave was extended, aisles were added and the tall tower was built.

What to see

• The campanile-style tower, most likely modelled on St Mark's bell tower in Venice, with a clock from 1918 and vine decoration.
• The portal with a figure of Christ, medallions of the twelve apostles and statues of St Nicholas, St Hedwig of Silesia and St John of Nepomuk – the sculptures are by Othmar Schimkowitz, a collaborator of Otto Wagner.
• The stained glass: Art Nouveau windows by Rudolf Harflinger from 1912 in the upper nave and older ones from Prague, dated 1894, lower down.
• The 1845 painting in the high altar – St Nicholas rescuing sailors from a sinking ship.
• The Chapel of Our Lady of Częstochowa, the only part of the church to survive every fire; since 1729 it has held an image brought from Tokaj by Colonel Teodor Sułkowski.

Did you know?

The interior you see today results from controversial changes in 1965–1966: almost all the old furnishings were removed, leaving only the confessionals from 1910, and the walls were painted over – the wall paintings returned only in 1998. The Rieger organ of 1920 has 51 stops after its expansion. The largest bell, cast in 1937 at the Schwabe foundry in Biała, weighed 3,345 kg, but was looted by the Germans in 1942. In the chapel, Father Stanisław Stojałowski held Polish-language services in the early 20th century, as a plaque recalls.

Tripto tips

This is a working cathedral, so the interior is best visited outside Masses and ceremonies – the parish publishes the current schedule. Twenty to thirty minutes is enough for the church itself. From the door it is only a few steps to the Sułkowski Castle and the Market Square, so the cathedral fits naturally into a walk around the Old Town.